4 Astros who could be traded or fired if 2024 luck doesn't change quickly

Who could have possibly predicted this? 23 games into the 2024 campaign, the Houston Astros sit at 7-16 on the season after losing two of three against the Nationals. They sit in last place, behind the Oakland Athletics, in the AL West, and have one of the worst records in baseball in the early going.

Yes, we're only 23 games into the season and the Astros have plenty of time to turn things around, but when exactly is that going to happen? They've already dug themselves a major hole.

While the hope is that Houston gets the ship steered in the right direction, there's always the chance that this is just not their year. If that is the case, these members of the organization might be traded or fired at some point in the not-too-distant future.

4) It feels like a matter of when, not if, the Astros move on from Jose Abreu

The Astros signed Jose Abreu to a three-year deal worth $58 million to be their first baseman. They had just won the World Series the year before signing him, but had a clear weakness at the first base position and were hoping that Abreu, a three-time All-Star and former MVP winner, would help. He's done anything but.

Abreu had just a 87 OPS+ in his first season with the Astros, causing alarm bells to go off. Concerns of Astros fans eased slightly thanks to his strong postseason performance, but now, in the 2024 campaign, Abreu looks worse than ever. The 37-year-old has four hits in 59 at-bats entering play on Monday (.068 BA) and has just one extra-base hit (a double). He has been a disaster.

Astros GM Dana Brown told the media that the Astros are going to sit Abreu for a little while to hope that he can turn things around. While he can't do much worse, what if it never gets any better? This can't go on for much longer. Trading him is almost an impossibility at this point considering he has another year on his contract worth $19.5 million, but something has to be done.

Whether the replacement comes internally with a guy like Joey Loperfido or externally with Brandon Belt or a potential trade candidate, the Astros need to find a solution at first base. It's safe to say at this point that it won't be Jose Abreu.

3) The Astros can trade Ryan Pressly if their season doesn't get turned around

The Astros already had an elite bullpen last season and decided to make it even better, at least on paper, by signing Josh Hader. Yes, that signing meant Houston was going to lose some depth with guys like Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek signing elsewhere, but did that really matter? I mean, they were signing Josh Hader for crying out loud.

Hader joining Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu seemed, on paper, to be unfair. It was by far the best late-game trio in baseball. Unfortunately for Astros fans, games are not played on paper and the 'pen has been a disaster.

Hader has been getting most of the headlines, and rightfully so, but Pressly has been awful in his own right. The right-hander has allowed ten runs (eight earned) in 8.2 innings of work, posting a 8.31 ERA in his first ten appearances. He just blew a save, his second of the year, in their most recent loss in Washington with Hader unavailable.

Pressly might turn things around, but he's 35 years old and has a mutual option worth $14 million for next season. If he continues to struggle, will Houston realistically pick up their end of the option? If Pressly does turn it on, will he want to stay in a lesser role when he can close for many other teams? If the team doesn't turn things around, Pressly could be an unexpected trade candidate to pay closer attention to.

2) Alex Bregman's time with the Astros could be over sooner than anyone could've expected

Alex Bregman is in the final year of his contract. With Scott Boras representing him, the odds of an extension are pretty non-existent. In fact, it's been noted publicly that the Astros have yet to offer him an extension.

Bregman's long-term future with the Astros was in doubt even before this season began, and now it's as murky as ever. The Astros still have to pay guys like Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez who are set to hit free agency after the 2025 campaign, and it's uncertain as to whether they'll be able to keep Bregman as well. If there's nothing to play for, why not trade him so you can guarantee you get something for him?

What makes this even weirder is Bregman has gotten off to a brutal start to this season. He has slashed .213/.302/.380 and has yet to hit a single home run. He'll almost certainly get going eventually, but when? And how good will he be? Remember, Bregman hasn't been a MVP-caliber player since 2019, and is going to want to get paid as if he is one.

If the Astros (and Bregman) continue to struggle, ensuring Houston can get something for him rather than take the risk of losing him in free agency makes the most sense. If they can turn it around and are competitive, of course, he's not going anywhere. If they keep struggling this is something they cannot ignore any longer.

1) Dana Brown could be fired if 2024 luck doesn't change quickly

The Astros made the curious decision to part with GM James Click just days after winning the World Series in 2022. It was a move that didn't make sense at the time and still doesn't over one year later.

Dana Brown was his replacement, and it's safe to say things have not gone well since.

Brown isn't at fault for the signings of Abreu and Rafael Montero that have backfired spectacularly as it was owner Jim Crane who pulled those off, nor is he at fault for the bevy of pitching injuries they have suffered, but he has been far from perfect as the team's GM.

Let's talk about Hader. It's only the first month of the first year, but that signing looks like a disaster so far. His decision to sign Hader while losing key bullpen depth has also looked quite awful. The Kendall Graveman trade was bad. The Justin Verlander trade hasn't aged as well as they had hoped. The decision to roll with Joe Espada can't be fully judged yet either, but Espada clearly hasn't increased their level of play, at least not yet.

Not only is the short-term looking bleaker than anyone could've expected, but Brown has yet to ink anyone other than Jose Altuve to a long-term extension. Bregman, Tucker, and Valdez could all be gone within the next couple of seasons, which, of course, would be a disaster.

It's too early to fire Espada, but Brown has been with the team for over a year now. They failed to win a single home game in the ALCS, losing to the division rival Rangers, and now there's this. If the Astros fail to turn their season around, Brown could easily be the one to fall on the sword.